CANADIAN & VINTAGE LIGHTWEIGHT BICYCLE
BIANCHI "REKORD" 848
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A TALE OF TWO BIKES
It was immediately obvious that the school had a lot to offer since about forty stalls had been assembled for the two day event. As my grandson and I approached the parking lot where the sale was being held, I noticed that there was but one bicycle offered, and it was a woman�s bike at that.
Generally, a woman�s bicycle does not earn much interest, however; I have learned that, more often than not, a woman�s bicycle will usually be in much better condition than a man�s. With this in mind and considering that there were no other bicycles to inspect, I wandered over to view the solitary old bicycle as my grandson headed off to see if he could add to his �Goose Bumps� book collection.
As I closed on the bicycle, I realized that it was something a bit out of the ordinary. In fact, my interest went from �who cares� to �wow� in less than a heartbeat. As it turned out, the woman�s bicycle was a full blown Bianchi �W� Strada in all but perfect and very little used condition. All but perfect?
In an effort to rid the machine of its drop handlebars, someone had sawed off the down tube shifter controls braze-ons. What a shame but not too serious considering that I am not usually interested in collecting women�s bicycles, particularly those too small for me to ride. I was, however, very impressed with the components that appeared to be all but brand new.
The 700c wheels were in perfect condition, as were all of the components. Managing to attract one of the yard sale attendants attention I inquired about the price of the bike. The lady considered the situation for a moment and suggested three dollars. I couldn�t believe it and snapped the bike up in an instance. True, the bicycle itself was of little value to me but I was certain that the component group would come in handy, sooner or later. I already had need of a set of 700c wheels for a Peugeot �PS28� that I had plans to restore.
My grandson and I loaded the Bianchi �Strada� into the pick-up and away we went, seeking other yard sales. The morning worn on and the boy indicated that he wanted to pack it in for the day. Since the morning was all but over, I took the him home and set off on my own.
I attempted called a friend on my cell phone. He and I had made plans to attend the Police Auction, scheduled to transpire that afternoon. Several times I attempted to call my chum only to be thwarted by his teenage daughter who seems to be in need of medical attention. The attention required, of course, would be the surgical removal of the telephone receiver from her ear. At any rate, I could not reach my friend and decided to kill time by making a few more yard sale stops while waiting for our intended meeting time to arrive. The last stop produced results that blew the earlier Bianchi �W� Strada find away.
A four foot by four foot plywood sheet indicated that this last visited yard sale was taking place in the back yard. Passing through the creaky gate, the first thing that caught my attention was a string of lightweights leaning against the fence. A quick inspection of the group revealed two bicycles of moderate interest � an early seventies Raleigh �Record�, in extremely good condition, and a rougher, but still presentable, made in France Peugeot �Challenger�. Brief negotiations picked the pair up for fifteen dollars. Before wheeling the two treasures away, I asked if the seller had any other bicycles for sale. He said yes and proceeded to show me the line-up hanging in his garage.
About half a dozed bikes were suspended from the rafters of the seller�s garage. The only bike in the group that caught my attention was a Bianchi �Rekord 848� in so-so condition. Indicating an interest in the bicycle, the seller lifted it down from its hook, affording me an opportunity for closer inspection. The bicycle had, at one time, been turned into a single speed machine. Back and forth negotiation netted me the bicycle, sans wheels, for twelve dollars and fifty cents. And why not considering that I had picked up the woman�s Bianchi earlier in the day which did have the wheel set included. One great bicycle from two independent sources on the same day! Who would believe it?
So, for fifteen and a half bucks, I ended up with an Italian Bianchi that fits and has all of the necessary components to get the bicycle up and running. What a neat treasure hunt!
The ride did, however, feel good. Though never pushed, the bike felt as if it would be easy to get up to speed quickly. This Bianchi "Premio" has a ride quite similar to the Rekord though it would be unfair to compare the two considering the componentry on the Premio is much newer. Additionally, the Rekord's frame is considerably larger that that of its Oriental cousin, the Premio.
The Bianchi Rekord would appear to be a cut above many of the other bicycles in the collection, even though it is, more or less, being built up from the frame.
The stem and handlebars, pedals, saddle and brake levers will be changed out before any fair test ride could be conducted. Period correct TTT Record stem and bars will be coupled with a NOS set of Modolo levers. Most likely, a leather saddle will be installed although some of the Bianchi models available on Ebay seem appealing. The jury is still out but leather has the edge.
Presently, however; the Rekord is in competition with several other potential projects. This Canadian Miele is one of the bicycles that could experience the full restoration treatment. Then again, a recently acquired NOS Francesco Moser 51.151 frame just might become the cold weather project. Both this Dawes "Galaxy" and Raleigh "Superbe" require little more than a good cleaning up with a few minor component replacements. And the Peugeot PS28 is now on the road but interest in restoring it is fast deminishing with so many other projects seeking attention..
